(Portions of the following article are reprinted from the March 22, 2016 edition of the Overton County (Tenn.) News.)

A business with connections in Clinton County, as well as in neighboring Pickett County and Overton County, Tennessee, will be hitting the track–the race track that is.

Fitzgerald Glider Kits has been rebuilding engines and placing them in brand-new semi truck chassis at the former Hutchinson plant in Byrdstown for several years now.

The business has also been operating support portions of that manufacturing process in two locations in Clinton County, one at the old Bluegrass Cooperage facility on Ky. 90 in the Snow Community, and another in the Clinton County Industrial Park.

Recently, the business announced its partnership of the Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

A press release issued recently by Team Penske and Fitzgerald Glider Kits said the Fitzgerald name would be the main sponsor behind the car at Bristol Motor Speedway in April, New Hampshire Speedway in July, Darlington Raceway in September, and Dover International Speedway in October.

Team Penske owner Roger Penske said in the press release, “We are excited to welcome Fitzgerald to Team Penske as a new partner in 2016. Fitzgerald is a family-run business that has made a name for itself and has become established as an industry leader. We believe that the Fitzgerald brand is a great fit with the Number 22 Ford team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. We look forward to not only seeing Fitzgerald represented on the car, but also using the company’s products in our race shop.”

Team Penske has won three consecutive Xfinity Series Owners Championships and produced 25 wins with four different drivers in the #22 Mustang: Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, and A.J. Allendimger. This year, driving duties are being split between Logano and Keseleowski.

Keselowski was in the house at Fitzgerald’s plant in Byrdstown Thursday, March 17 for an official unveiling of the car’s paint scheme. Clad in the neon green, the race car’s V8 snarl elicited cheers from plant workers and their families in attendance at the unveiling, held as part of an employee appreciation day at the Byrdstown plant.

Keselowski said, “It’s an honor to be here, though, for me, I grew up with a family that knows a lot about trucks. We traveled up and down the road as a family. I’ll never forget, I grew up in a truck, it was an old white truck, and we drove up and down the road all the time traveling to races. So I know a little about what it means to be a part of this industry, and I’ve got a lot of respect for what it takes to put together these machines and make them go down the road and not break down–because I’ve been in ones that break down, and that’s not a lot of fun, I can tell you that right away.

“This is going to be a lot of fun for the relationship,” Keselowski continued. “We’re looking forward to getting on the race track. We’ve got the Bristol race coming up in a few weeks. “I’m not going to be driving in that race–my teammate is–but I will be driving this car soon, I can promise you that. I want to get behind the wheel of it. It looks cool.

“This 22 Xfinity car has been one of our best cars. We’ve won I think 50-some races with this team over the last six seasons, and I think we can still win a lot more,” Keselowski said.

Keselowski added that Team Penske actually has a Fitzgerald Glider Kits truck that will be used to pull the #22 Rod Mustang to races this season. Applause from proud Fitzgerald workers filled the room in response to the hat-tip.

Since the car is slated to debut its Fitzgerald colors at Bristol Saturday, April 16, it didn’t seem out of sorts when people wearing Bristol Motor Speedway polo shirts were spotted among the officials on-hand for the unveiling. However, the crowd would soon learn those Bristol representatives were on-hand to break some good news of their own: Fitzgerald Glider Kits will be sponsoring the race itself, not just the car.

Bristol Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell said in a press release, “Fitzgerald is a great American company, a leader in the transportation industry and a good fit as the entitlement sponsor for our NASCAR Xfinity Series April race. The response to the new Dash 4 Cash heat racing has been outstanding, and we are confident that the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 200 will be a fan favorite on the circuit this season.”

As Caldwell alluded to, the race format will be slightly different than most NASCAR races. There will be two heat races and a feature race. The release from Bristol Motor Speedway said qualifying for the event will set the 40-car field, with odd-numbered qualifiers competing in the first heat and even-numbered qualifiers contending in the second.

Finishing orders from the two heats will then set the final starting spots for the main event of the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, the release said. The two series regulars from each heat will then battle for an additional $100,000 Dash 4 Cash, it said.

Fitzgerald Glider Kit founder Tommy Fitzgerald, Sr. said, “As a Tennessee-based company it was hard to pass up the opportunity to sponsor one of the most exciting tracks on the NASCAR circuit. We try hard to capture every opportunity we can to show pride here in our home state, so the partnership with Bristol Motor Speedway seemed like a natural fit. To help add to the excitement, we will also be sponsoring the Number 22 Fitzgerald Glider Kits car that led every lap at last year’s race and look forward to Joey Logano giving us his all to bring us home the trophy.”

The green flag is scheduled to drop for the first heat of the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway at 12:30 p.m., with the second heat set to begin at approximately 1:10 p.m. and the feature race scheduled for approximately 1:45 p.m. Tickets start at $35. More information is available at www.BristolTix.com or (855) 580-5525.